Happy Birthday, Estel!
by Purplefluffychainsaw
Summary: Legolas didn't realise that humans celebrated the date of their births once a year, and he certainly didn't know that his new friend Estel's was coming up.


**Happy Birthday, Estel!**

**Author**:  Elanor Gilmor, AKA Purplefluffychainsaw

**Disclaimer**:  I own nothing, etc, etc.

**Spoilers**:  None

**Rating**:  I think I can be safe with a nice U, or the American equivalent.

**Summery**:  For nearly a year Legolas and Estel have been friends, but now something is about to happen that the Silvan prince has never experienced . . . 

**Series**:  Across the borders.  My new Estel and Legolas series!  Even though I'm still a-workin' on the chronologically first one . . . Never mind.  The current members of the series are:

Lost (_currently being revised in the light of "_Friendship's Beginning_"_)

Fallen from Heaven (_Which I will do some work on . . . honest._)

**Signs**:  My usual.  ~"_Italics_"~ translated elvish, //_italics_// = thoughts in elvish, //normal// thoughts in Westron, "" = speech (_Duh_), **_*_paragraph_*** _= flashback, *word* = italics

**Elvish**:  Some elvish I use often, and with these words I shall translate them the first time I use them in this fic, but not again.  And I'm sorry for the bad mix of Sindarin and Quenya, and the way I have Silvan elves speaking quenya, I know this isn't how it would be, but I'm too lazy to sort it out.  Hope you understand!

**Dedication**:  Dedicated to LegolasGreenleafGil-Estel.  Happy fifteenth, mellon-nin!  Hope you had a brilliant birthday, even if you *were* at Leeds Castle helping dibbuns paint and stuff . . . Yeah.  **Laughs**

[**An:  Very, very short, I know.  But it says all it needs to say, so . . .**]

            ~          ~          ~          ~          ~

**Happy Birthday, Estel!**

Legolas rolled over and stared blankly at the ceiling.  The sun had only just begun to rise.  After a short while he realised that what had woken him up was a noise coming from the room next door.  And it had not stopped yet.  Slowly Legolas stood up, and stretched like a cat.  Not bothering to throw anything over his nightshirt he wandered into Estel's room to find out what was worth waking him up.  

"What are you doing?"  He asked, leaning lazily on the doorpost.  Elladan and Elrohir stopped attacking Estel to look at the Silvan prince.  Estel took advantage of their diverted attention and hit them both on the head with the pillow he had been using as a shield.  With a cry and a laugh the twins set upon their human brother again, Elladan hitting Estel with the pillow he had "borrowed" from Estel, then Elrohir doing the same so that Estel had no chance of getting them.  "Elladan!  Elrohir!  Estel!  Stop it, please.  What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"  Elladan asked, not turning round again.  "Want to join in?  I think Estel need some help."

"But why?"

Elrohir laughed, and was tipped off the bed by Estel.  He stood up, and brushed the long, dark hair away from his eye before trotting over to Legolas.  "Do we really need a reason to have a pillow fight with our dear, darling, brother?  Anyway, he started it!"

Estel had rescued the pillow that Elrohir had dropped, and was now getting his revenge on Elladan.  "'It was not I!  They just came in and started to attack me.  I only retorted in self-defence."

Legolas raised his hands.  "Save your excuses for Lord Elrond.  You are going to need them."  The Silvan elf moved to the chair by the fireplace, picking up the boxes that sat on it.  As he sat down he looked at one curiously.  "What are these?" 

Elrohir had joined the fight again, and rescued his pillow.  He risked a quick glance round, and was dealt a clip round the back of the head by Estel's pillow.  "Estel's birthday presents.  He is twenty-one today, and he has told me that it is a special age for humans.  However, I do not know whether he is to be believed as he has told me that about his age for the last ten years."  
  


"Birthday?"  Asked Legolas, laying down the box on the bed side table, before realising what danger it would be in there and putting it on the mantle piece.  "Is this some strange human celebration?"

"Oi!"  Estel laughed, throwing his pillow at the elf-prince.  Too late he realised his mistake, and reached for the last pillow that lay on his bed.  "But, yes, I suppose it is."

"Humans have this strange way of celebrating the day they were born on.  With Estel you would have thought that you would want to forget that, but he has always insisted that we give him presents anyway."

Legolas threw the pillow back to Estel, but Elladan caught it instead.  "I am sorry, Estel, I did not know.  I have not got you anything.  Do you mind?"

Estel sat up, forcing the twins off him.  "Truce."  He said to his brothers.  "Truce!"  He repeated when they ignored him.  "What part of truce do you not understand?  Will I need to spell it out for you?"  When Elladan and Elrohir laid down their pillows Estel turned to his friend.  "Of course I do not mind.  I had not told you about my birthday; I did not expect you to know.  Do not worry about it, mellon-nin."  Suddenly he lunged for his pillow.  "All right, truce over!"

            ~          *          ~

Legolas slipped into the blue tunic that lay on the chair by his bed, leaving his hair loose.  The Silvan prince secured his knife to his belt, but left his bow and quiver in the corner where they had been since he went hunting with Estel and the twins a few days ago.  Still barefooted he padded out onto the balcony.  

//_It is not so different from my one at home._ // He thought absent-mindedly as he swung himself into the branches of the tree that grew entwined with Imladris.  //_Maybe they built Imladris round the trees._ // Silently the wood-elf jumped from the tree, to land sure-footed on the forest floor, and bound into the mottled light of the woods around Imladris.  

It did not take Legolas very long to find what he wanted; a fallen tree with some large, but sure branches.  He sat down on the floor, avoiding the snowdrops, which were in full-bloom, and took his knife from its sheaf.  

            ~          *          ~

"Estel?  Are you coming down to breakfast?"  Elladan poked his head into Estel's room.  

"Yes, 'Dan.  Wait for me."  Estel pulled his trousers on quickly, and went to join Elladan.  "Have you seen Legolas?"

"Not since earlier on, no.  Why?"

"He is not in his room."

"We probably just missed him.  You will never guess who turned up during the night!"

"Who?"

"Halbarad, and he has brought you a present too."

"Oh.  Yay."  Estel had enjoyed the company of Halbarad and the Rangers, until he had been told he was one of them, and what is more, their leader.  Since then he had tried to keep away from them as much as possible.  

"Are you all right Estel?  You do not mind do you?  You have been a little cold to Halbarad lately."

"I know . . . I just do not like . . . you know."

"No I do not.  But it does not matter.  It is your birthday!  Be happy!"  Elladan did not press the matter, as last time they had Estel had ran away, and nearly been killed.

"Elladan!  Estel!  How *long* does it take you?  Come on, you slow coaches, every one is waiting."  Elrohir bounced up to his brothers, grabbed their hands and began to drag them along the corridor.  A sudden peal of thunder stopped the three.  

"Oh no!  Please do not tell me that it is raining . . ."

"Sorry Estel.  It is absolutely tipping it down."  Elrohir answered.    
  


"Well, there goes our picnic."  Elladan sighed.  

Estel laughed suddenly.  "It may not be!  Knowing March it will have ended by the time we finish breakfast.  Come on, last to the dining hall is . . . is a dopey dwarf!"  Within seconds the three had set off and were laughing and joking again.  

"Maybe we aught to walk, 'Ro.  Give Estel a sporting chance."

"No way! He cheated; it will serve him right when we beat him."

"Hey, I did not cheat.  It was just you two, you were not paying attention properly."

"Keep dreaming, Estel."

Elladan, Elrohir and Estel burst into the dining hall and rushed to their seats.  There was a bit of a scramble as Estel stole Elrohir's cutlery, and then everything died down a bit.  

"If you three have quite finished."  Elrond said.

"For now, Atar, for now." 

The dining hall doors were pushed open again, and a very wet Legolas entered.  He had been caught out in the rain, and although he had changed his clothes his hair was dripping, soaking the new set.  A water drop fell from his nose, as he came to sit next to Estel.  

"Do not say a word."  He growled.  "Not one single word."

Estel opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again.  Elladan and Elrohir, however, did not have the sense to do the same.  

"You look wet, mellon-nin."

"Been for a walk in the rain?"

"You would look wet too if you have been caught out in *that*."  Legolas pointed outside, where it was still pouring with rain.  "But, I get to blame my dear friend Estel for that."

"Wha-?"  Estel asked, his mouth full.  He swallowed quickly.  "Why is it *my* fault?"

"Because, O human, I was caught out in the rain while trying to make you a present."  As Legolas said this he started to go through his pockets.  "Which I have now lost."  He added, eventually.  

Elrond leaned over to them.  "Legolas, have you changed your tunic?"

Legolas laughed.  "Yes.  Thank-you."  He quickly went to fetch the present he had made for his friend.  On making his way back down to his seat again he presented Estel with a small wooden box, which he had carved.  It had the elf-rune "E" carved into its lid.   "Here, Estel.  Happy birthday."

Estel laughed, and his face lit up.  He embraced his friend.  "Hannon lye, mellon-nin.  But I was quite content just to have you here.  Your friendship is the greatest gift any man could ask for."


End file.
